Commit to dogged, determined defense, however, and the payoffs typically are plentiful. Lisbon forced 31 turnovers on Friday night and made many of them hurt in a 45-35 MVC girls’ basketball triumph over Wiscasset.

Juniors Kipri Steele and Kaylin Le led the Greyhounds (3-3) with 15 and 13 points, respectively, much of that offense resulting directly from six steals apiece.

“They’re feisty on defense, and I think we weren’t the aggressor. We kind of held back a little bit,” Lisbon coach Julie Petrie said. “Once we started attacking, that’s our strength. We didn’t have a lot of shots fall tonight.”

Lisbon’s ability to clog the passing lanes and crash the defensive boards overcame 14-for-54 (26 percent) shooting. The Greyhounds were more prolific from the free-throw line, where they outscored the Wolverines, 16-8.

Steele supplemented her exceptional game with six rebounds and four blocked shots, each of those swats coming in the third quarter. Kaylin Le grabbed seven rebounds, and sister Jasmin, while the focus of Wiscasset’s defensive attention, scratched out a team-high nine caroms and four steals to go with her six points.

“We knew that Kaylin Le could play, and I was pleased with the way that we played on Jasmin Le,” Wiscasset coach Ben Clark said. “They try to get her the ball inside. She’s really fundamentally sound.”

Lisbon never trailed after scoring 10 unanswered points during a stretch of the first half in which it held Wiscasset (2-4) without a field goal for 7:33.

Hayhlee Craig led the Wolverines with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Gabby Chapman added nine points. Grace Webber made seven steals.

Kaylin Le was the only repeat scorer during the Greyhounds’ 10-0 run, courtesy of a put-back and a layup off her own steal. Jasmin Le, Bree Sautter and Steele also joined in the parade.

“Defense kind of helped us out in the beginning,” Petrie said. “We didn’t get in a good offensive flow in the first quarter.”

Wiscasset crept within two, 15-13, thanks to a pair of inside buckets by Craig. Lisbon capped the half with two free throws by Kaylin Le and a 3-pointer from Bree Sautter to maintain control.

Sautter, Lisbon’s lone senior, scored all seven of her points in the second quarter. The Greyhounds had seven takeaways in that stretch, three by Steele.

“She’s got quick hands. She does well. She’s sneaky,” Petrie said of Steele. “We’re getting better at that, but what we need to do is force turnovers and turn those into points.”

The teams were a combined 5-for-30 from the field in the third quarter.

Lisbon held onto most of its lead. Kaylin Le’s second-chance bucket after a Steele theft made it 27-21 with eight minutes to go. Le and Steele each forced multiple turnovers in the period.

Wiscasset endured another field goal drought of nearly seven minutes and couldn’t get any closer.

“We’ve got to score better to be successful in our league, and we struggle sometimes,” Clark said. “We’re young and we’re playing hard and getting better. I love their effort. I think we’re going to be there.”

Steele and Kaylin Le combined for 14 points in the fourth quarter. Freshman Valerie Doucette added a 3-point play, triggered by her own steal, to help put it away.

“Kipri did well on the boards,” Petrie said. “They keyed on Jasmin. She’s a scorer for us, but other girls stepped up and crashed the boards well and attacked the basket.”

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